Sales and Usage Data

Sales and usage of AMDs inevitably vary considerably between and even in regions within countries. As examples, in this section we will consider recent sales data for two countries (United Kingdom and France) and sales data for a single clinical condition (bovine respiratory disease, BRD). 

The United Kingdom s Veterinary Medicines Directorate (an executive agency of the Department for Environment, 

Food and Rural Affairs) 2009 report describes sales of AMDs, antiprotozoals, antifungals, and coccidiostats, authorized for use as veterinary medicines, annually for the period 2003-2008. To illustrate trends in usage, this account summarizes data for 2003 and 2008. Prior to that, between 1998 and 2003, the total sale of veterinary therapeutic AMDs in the UK was relatively constant at approximately 434 metric tons per annum. From 435 metric tons in 2003, total sales decreased to 384 metric tons in 2008. Livestock numbers in thousands in the national herd (2003 and 2008) were as follows pigs (5046 and 4714), cattle (10,508 and 10,107), sheep (35,812 and 33,131), and poultry (178,800 and 166,200). Therefore, the proportional decreases in total AMD sales and in animal numbers were broadly similar. 

Sales figures for AMDs and coccidiostats are presented in Table 2.16. The decrease in tonnage sales of AMDs in food animals is partly accounted for by the ban on growth promoters, which took effect on January 1, 2006. For AMDs, it will be seen that by far the largest tonnage (59% of total) relates to medicated feedstuffs, followed by products formulated for oral or water medication (29%) and injectable medication (10%). For intramammary products, 56.6% was for dry-cow and 43.4% for lactating cow therapy. Of the coccidiostats, 72% comprised ionophores. It should be noted that the proportion of the 327 metric tons of AMDs, which was administered to food animals but did not enter the food chain, is unknown. 

Categorized by species, by far the largest groups of AMD sales were for pigs and poultry, with smaller and 

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